Little Dorrit

highly condensed conversation, Mr. Pancks would go his way;
with an appearance of being lightened and refreshed.

CHAPTER XXVI NOBODY'S STATE OF MIND

IF Arthur Clennam had not arrived at that wise decision firmly to
restrain himself from loving Pet, he would have lived on in a
state of much perplexity, involving difficult struggles with his own
heart. Not the least of these would have been a contention, always
waging within it, between a tendency to dislike Mr. Henry Gowan,
if not to regard him with positive repugnance, and a whisper that
the inclination was unworthy. A generous nature is not prone to
strong aversions, and is slow to admit them even dispassionately;
but when it finds ill-will gaining upon it, and can discern between-
whiles that its origin is not dispassionate, such a nature becomes
distressed.

Therefore Mr. Henry Gowan would have clouded Clennam's
mind, and would have been far oftener present to it than more
agreeable persons and subjects, but for the great prudence of his
decision aforesaid. As it was, Mr. Gowan seemed transferred to Daniel Doyce's mind; at all events, it so happened that it usually
fell to Mr. Doyce's turn, rather than to Clennam's, to speak of
him in the friendly conversations they held together. These were
of frequent occurrence now; as the two partners shared a portion
of a roomy house in one of the grave old-fashioned City streets,
lying not far from the Bank of England, by London Wall.

Mr. Doyce had been to Twickenham to pass the day. Clennam
had excused himself. Mr. Doyce was just come home. He put in
his head at the door of Clennam's sitting-room to say Good-night.

'Come in, come in!' said Clennam.

'I saw you were reading,' returned Doyce, as he entered, 'and
thought you might not care to be disturbed.'

But for the notable resolution he had made, Clennam really
might not have known what he had been reading; really might not
have had his eyes upon the book for an hour past, though it lay
open before him. He shut it up, rather quickly.

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